William Marshall 'Blacula' diesBy Simone M. Sebastian
Tribune staff reporter
Some thespians herald William Marshall as one of the greatest Othellos of the 20th Century. Children of the 1980s laughed with him as the King of Cartoons on "Pee-Wee's Playhouse." And most Americans remember him as Blacula in the 1972 film.
But to Mr. Marshall, the hallmark of his career was bringing the lives of historical black leaders to stage and screen.
He was marked by "his devotion and interest in the presentation of great black leaders of the past," said Anita Rutzky, a longtime teacher and friend of Mr. Marshall. "He wanted the world to hear them because they weren't in the textbooks."
Mr. Marshall, 78, a renowned Shakespearean and film actor, died Wednesday, June 11, of Alzheimer's disease in a Los Angeles nursing facility.
He was known for his wide-ranging acting talent and vocal abilities to match. Having played Othello numerous times, from New York's Shakespeare in the Park to the jazz adaptation, "Catch My Soul," Mr. Marshall was called "the best Othello of our time" by The London Sunday Times.
Mr. Marshall fought against the blaxploitation films of the 1960s and '70s and brought more positive black characters and historical figures to the theater.
When producers of "Blacula" offered him the title role, "he thought they were joking," said his companion of 45 years, Sylvia Jarrico. "He didn't want to play this victimized ordinary fellow." Mr. Marshall re-created the character as an African prince on a mission to end the slave trade.
In 1973, he told the Chicago Tribune he was disturbed by the state of black theater and was dedicating his career to portraying "the really heroic history of my people."
He performed a one-man PBS broadcast of abolitionist Frederick Douglass during the 1980s and later adapted the act to stage, performing it across the country for over a decade.
"That was the theme of his work," Jarrico said.
Mr. Marshall was born in Gary, and received a bachelor's degree from Governors State University. In 1945, Mr. Marshall left Chicago for New York, eventually settling in Los Angeles in 1966.
Mr. Marshall returned to the Chicago area many times to perform and give guest lectures to drama students. He produced and performed "As Adam Early in the Morning," a theater adaptation of poetry and literature at ETA Creative Arts Foundation during the 1970s. He also starred in the 1980 production of "An Enemy of the People" at the Goodman Theater.
He appeared on television shows including "The Jeffersons" and "Star Trek."
Mr. Marshall was honored by ETA in 1992 as one of the "Epic Men of the 20th Century."
"He was an icon, a cultural icon," said Abena Joan Brown, co-founder and president of ETA. "You can't make a greater impact than that."
In addition to his companion, Mr. Marshall is survived by three sons Claude, Malcolm, and Tariq; a daughter, Gina Loring; and a grandchild.
Copyright � 2003, The Chicago Tribune
